Grain washer, stoner, and conditioner



March 29,1927. 4 1,622,580

- D. GEDDES GRAIN WASHER, STONER, AND COIIDITIONER Filed April 19, 1926 C W///'////// 7 A INVENTOR. Dal/1d Geddea,

f. A TTORNEYS Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES DAVID GEDDES, F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

GRAIN WASHER, .STONER, AND CONDITIONER.

Application filed April 19, 1926. Serial No. 102,904.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple and efiicient mechanism by means of which grain, such as wheat, may be efficiently separated from dirt and other foreign substances and may be subjected to a washing and, when desired, a steaming treatment.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. Fig. 1 is a central vertical section; Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 a

In the drawings 10 indicates a suitable container or main body conveniently of a rectangular cross-section in its upper regions with a conical bottom 11 havinga clean-out opening 12 in its lower end, the casing being supported by suitable legs 13.

Arranged in the inverted cone 11 is a conical valve 14 provided at its lower outer edge with a flexible packing strip 15 adapted to contact with the interior of cone 11, for a purpose which will appear. The valve 14 is provided with a stem 16 guided, top and bottom, in guides 17 and 18, and supported at its lower end in a cap 19 threaded upon the lower end of a short pipe section 20 mounted in opening 12, the arrangement being such that vertical adjustment of the cap 19 will determine the relation between the packing strip 15 and the interior of cone 11. J ournaled in the upper part of body 10 is a hollow shaft provided at one side with a radially extending apron 31 which, for a portion of its width is overlaid by guard 32 so as to produce a shoulder 33, the purpose of which will appear.

Leading from the interior of shaft 30 between apron 31 and guard 32 is a passage 34 extending the entire length of the apron. Secured to the ends of shaft 30 and apron 31 are end plates 35, and bridging the space between these end plates, and secured to shaft 30, is an inclined bottom plate 36. Pivotally supported at 37, between the end plates 35, is a depending valve plate 38 having a wear plate 39 attached to its lower edge and capable of contacting with the bottom plate 36. Attached to the valve plate 38 is a rod 40 upon which is mounted a counterweight 41, held in any desired adjustable position on rod 40 by means of the thumb screw 42, the arrangement being such that the counterweight serves to yieldingly urge the wear plate 39 towards the bottom plate 36. r The parts 30 to 42, inclusive, form a swinging hopper H into and through which the grain, to be drained, passes.

Secured to shaft 30 is a rearwardly projecting arm 51 connected by ball and socket joint 52 with an adjusting rod 53 passed through a bracket 54 on main body 10 and provided with adjusting nuts 55 contacting bracket 54.

Formed throughone side of body 10 at about, or slightly above, the lower edge of apron 31 is a discharge opening leading to a discharge spout 61.

Hinged at 62 along the lower edge of opening 60 is a reflector plate 63 which is extended downwardly and inwardly into body 10 and provided at its free end with a rod 64 extended upwardly and rearwardly through a bracket 65 and provided with an adjusting nut 66 engaging the bracket.

An opening 67 is formed through the rear wall'of the main body 10, above the opening 60, to permit freedom of movement of arm 51 and access to the adjusting nut 66.

Leading into body 10 is a Water supply passage 70 which will be connected to a suitable source of water. supply and provided with a controlling valve.

.Shaft 30 is provided with suitable bearings journaled in suitable bearings 76 supported by the end walls of body 10 and the interior of this shaft is connected by a suitable swivel connection 77 with a valved pipe through which steam, water or other desired treating fluid may be introduced to flow through passage 34 and over the exposed surface of apron 31. p

The apron 31 may be adjusted to any desired angle relative to the normal water level W and held in adjusted position by nuts '55,

and the deflector plate 63 may be adjusted so as to form any desired width of throat between the free edge of apron 31 andthe deflector plate or, if desired, the deflector plate may be brought into immediate contactwith the free edge of the apron.

The operation is as follows:

A supply of water will be admitted through pipe 7 0 so as to maintain the water level W and a desired outflow through spout 61. Deflector 63 will be adjusted to provide the and cap 19 will be screwed upwardly so as to raise edge 15 a desired distance from the wall of cone 11. A. stream of water under considerable pressure will be admitted through pipe 30 so as to flow downwardly desired throat at the free edge of apron 31 within the structure and the stream of water issuing from passage 34. The combined action; will result in driving the good grain through the upper regions of the water body towards and into spout 61 while heavier particlessuch as stones, dirt and other foreign substances will drop through the throat between apron 31 and plate 63 and settle downwardly, onto valve 1d and thence into the lower part .of cone 11.

The precisecharacter of the separation will of course be dependent upon the relative adjustments ofthe parts, as will be clearly apparent.

When there has been a sufficient accumulation of foreign substancesin the lower part of cone 11, cap 19 may be withdrawn, whereupon. valve 14 will seat itself in the cone 11 so as to retain the main body of water in the structure whileat the same time permitting the accumulated material in the lower part of the conetobe readily withdrawn without interrupting the operation of the device.

ItiVll]; ;be understood that, instead of water,.a streamof steam may be introduced into shaft 30 and caused to traverse the apron 31, thus furnishing the necessary motive power for driving the grain from hopper H into the discharge spout 61, at the same timeheating the grain to a proper degree. Thisoperation may be accomplished simultaneously with the separation of foreign substances inthe manner previously described or, if the grain. has been previously properly cleaned, the deflector plate 63 and free edge of apron 31 may be brought close together so as to form a cupthrough which the stream of grain may pass from hopper H to discharge spout 61; There will, of course, be av flow of water through the structure from pipe .70.

Lolaim as my invention: 7

1.. A grain :treating machine comprising a main hollow body-having a hopper bottom, a grain receiving hopper mounted within the upper region of said main body and having an apron over which the grain may flow, means by which a treating fluid may be caused to traverse said apron and to contact the grain stream thereon, a conical valve arranged'within and to cooperate with the hopper bottom, and a closure for said hopper :bottom arranged to support said valve.

21A grain treating machine comprising a main hollow body in which a normal water hopper mounted within the upper region of the said main body and having a delivery apron leading downwardly to said water level, means by which the pitch of the apron may be adjusted, means for determining the thickness of the stream of grain from the hopper over the apron, and means by which a treating fluid may be delivered to the grain stream between said stream and the water in the main body.

3. A grain treating machine comprising a main hollow body in which a normal water level may be maintained, a grain receiving hopper mounted within the upper region of the said main body and having a delivery apron leading downwardly to said normal level, means by which the pitch of the apron may be adjusted, and means by which a treating fluid may be delivered to the grain stream between said stream and thewater in the main body.

4. A grain treating machine comprising a main hollow body within which a normal water level may be maintained, a grain hopper arranged within the upper region of said main body and comprising an apron over which a stream of grain may flow and means for determining the thickness of such stream, said apron depending below the normal water level, means by which a stream of treating fluid may be introduced to the apron beneath the grain stream, and a, deflector plate arranged within the main body to form a throat at the. free edge. of the apron.

5. A grain treating machine comprisinga main body within which a normal water level may be maintained, a tubular shaft journaled in the upper region of said main body, means by which said shaft may be rotatably adjusted, an apron extending radially from said shaft and having its upper surface in communication with the interior of said shaft, a hopper bottom carried by the shaft and overlying theapron, and means cooperating with said hopper bottom for limiting the thickness of grainv stream passing over the hopper bottom to the apron.

6. A grain treating machine. comprising a main body within which .a normal water level may be maintained, a tubular shaft journaled inthe upper region of said main body, means by which said shaft may be rotatably adjusted, an apron extending radially from said shaft and having its .upper surface in communication with theinterior of said shaft, a hopper bottom carried by the shaft and overlying the apron, a valve plate cooperating with said hopper bottom, and means for varying the resistance of said valve plate.

7. A grain treating machine comprising a main body within which a normal water level may be maintained, a tubular shaft level may be maintained, a grain receiving journaled in theupper region of said main body, means by which said shaft may be rotatably adjusted, an apron extending radially from said shaft and having its upper surface in communication with the interior of said shaft, a hopper bottom carried by the shaft and overlying the apron, means cooperating with said hopper bottom for lim iting the thickness of grain stream passing over the hopper bottom to the apron, a guard plate adjustably mounted in the main body adjacent the free edge of the apron, and means by which said guard plate may be adjusted towards and from the apron.

8. A grain treating machine comprising a main body within which a normal water level may be maintained, a tubular shaft journaled in the upper region of said main body, means by which said shaft may be rotatably adjusted, an apron extending radially from said shaft and having its upper surface in communication with the interior of said shaft, a hopper bottom carried by the shaft and overlying the apron, a valve plate cooperating with said hopper bottom, means for varying the resistance of said valve plate, a guard plate adjustably mounted in the main body adjacent the free edge of the apron, and means by which said guard plate may be adjusted towards and from the apron.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Guadalajara, Mexico, this thirtieth day of July, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-six.

, DAVID GEDDES. 

